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Health centre: We still have fight on our hands
• AS much as we would have liked your headline, “Keep health centre open says minister” (May 22), to have been true, nothing so clear-cut was decided. The decision about whether to keep Finsbury Health Centre open was kicked back to Islington for a “process” between the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Islington Council. This means it’s still up for discussion, and we hope the recommendation to make sure “local stakeholders” are involved will be taken seriously.
Since the reprieve was won in February, the PCT has worked behind the scenes to make sure its proposals avoid detailed public scrutiny. It submitted a letter from a council officer assuring the PCT that the health and wellbeing review committee’s decision to refer “did not reflect the view of the council’s administration”. Unfortunately, the Department of Health gave more weight to an offer by John Foster, Islington Council’s newly appointed chief executive, to “broker” an agreement than the unanimous decision of eight democratically elected councillors that closure of the health centre needs an independent public review.
Despite having been told by the health and wellbeing review committee to do nothing towards the closure proposals until there is a final decision, the PCT seems determined to undermine current use of the health centre. We have had reports of physio patients being pressured to take their appointments in Holloway. And after making such an issue of wheelchair access to the first floor it has effectively blocked it in the lobby by replacing Lubetkin’s open layout with ranks of fixed seating.
Although publicly stating that it was “interested”, the PCT has so far refused to meet us about the alternative of using a not-for-profit trust to modernise the building.
After more than a year, the PCT has yet to make a clear case for closure based on evidence of patient need – from our own research we believe that’s because there isn’t one. It can hardly complain that its inflated £9million price for refurbishment is too much – this is what it is spending on River Place Health Centre. And there is still the £5.7million surplus this year, which outside experts agree would cover health centre modernisation with change to spare.
The health and wellbeing review committee has the power to take this back to the Department of Health if it is not satisfied at the end of the recommended “process”. We hope that if this ends up amounting to another deal between bureaucrats with a rigged “consultation”, other Islington residents will join us in demanding a full public review.
We are celebrating Finsbury Health Centre at “Nothing is too good for ordinary people!” at 7pm on Thursday, June 18, in Holy Redeemer Church Hall, Exmouth Market, and raising money to oppose the sale of the building and relocation of its NHS services. Local businesses, residents and artists are generously donating items and services for our auction and raffle, with music, comedy and a bit of history. If you would like to get involved, our contact details are on www.savefhc.org.uk or via 020 7833 1395.
Barb Jacobson
WC1
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